Improved boot-blacking apparatus



tnited 51am stent @attira HENRY CHURCHMAN,` 0F HoRsHAM, ENGLAND.-

Letters Patent No. 91,825, dated June 29, 1869; patented fin England, Azlgust 6, 1868.

napaovnn Boor-BLACKING. ARPARATUS.

The Schedule referred to in then' Lettere Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it mayconce'm:

Be it known that I, HENRY CHURGHMAN, of Hors Various arrangements of revolving brushes have been proposed for cleaning boots and shoes, some of which consist of one or more rotating brush-surfaces, of a concave form, to which the boot is applied.

Such` arrangements, however, have not proved suc cessful, on account of the form of the brushes not being such as would act effectively upon every part of the boot or shoe.

Now my present invention consists in one part, in

constructing such rotary brushes in the following manner:

I'construct a circular concave brush, the surface of which is formed rounded or concave at bottom, Widening out to a certain point, from which the brush-sur; face again contracts ,toward the rim of the brush, it -being made to extend partially or completely over such rim.

By this form of brush, the boot is eifectually acted upon in all parts, as, the sole being made to fit into the widest point of-the side surfaces, 'the -front of the upper leather is cleaned by the concave bottom brushsurface, while the sides ofthe boot are acted upon by the contracted side brush-surfaces.

Such rotary brush may either be employed alone, for ei'ecting both the removal of the dirt and -the polishing of the boot, while the blackiug is applied by hand; or by preference, I fix on the same spindle with this brush a small rotary concave brusluforiapplying the blacking, the brush-surface of which also by preference made to extend over the rim. i

If required, also, a lthird concave brush may be'l applied for removing the dirt, and the first-named brush be used only for polishing.

The brush or brushes may be driven either direct by a crank-handle, on vthe spindle thereof, or, if 're quired to be of a small diameter, it, or they, may be driven by means of speed-increasing gearing, so as to obtain the requisite surfacespeed foi' the brush.

The brush or brushes may also be driven by means of a treadle, or by a pulley aud,l strap, from a steamengine, or other sourcel of motive power.

' On the accompanying drawing is shown the arrangement of my before-described improved rotary brushes, which I prefer to employ, adapted for being' worked by the hand of the operator. l

Figure 1 showsanV elevation ofthe machine in perspeotive, and

VFigure 2'shows avertcal section of the same, and

Figure 3 shows an enlarged transverse section of the form of brush-surface which I prefer to employ,

The annular brush-surface A is composed, first, of the concave or rounded bottom surface a, extending up to about the point shown, from, which the two side surfaces, b b, extending up Vto. the rim, are made t`o overhang the part a, thus contracting the space between them; and lastly, other brush-surfaces, c c, are formed upon the rim.

By introducing the boot into this rotating annular brush,the front of the upper of the boot will be cleaned by. the part a, 'while the side-portions will be cleaned by the parts b b, and afterwards the heel of the boot, being introduced into a, will be cleaned in like manner.

The -upper edges of the parts b may be advantageo usly employed for cleaning such corners of the boot as are not reached by the other parts ofthe brush.

The parts c c may be made of hard bristles, and serve for removing any dirt iiom the boot prepara tory to cleaning it by the other part of the brush.

The blacking is applied to the boot by means lof the. concave brush B, with rounded end, carried by t-he same spindle, C, that carries the brush A.

This latter may be constructed of segments, lixed vbetween two side cheeks D D, carried by the spindle C, the segments being either of the form shown in iig.

.2, orthey may be built up of three separate parts, d

d e, fixed together; in order to facilitateV the manufacture ot' the brush-surface, as shown at iig. 3, the

parts d being hollowed out at :c x, iu order more' ,readily to wire the bristles.

The spindle of the brush iscarried by the framing E E, and has a quick rotaryy motion imparted to it by means of the crank-handle F, and speed-increasing ,gearing y A spring may be provided at; H for resting the boot upon while it is being acted on by the brush.

l Having thus described Vthe nature of my invention, and in 4what manner the same is to be' performed, I wish it iso-be understood that what'I claim, is-

1. Constructing and using rotary concave brushes, wherein' vthe bottom surface is formed rounded and widens out-np to a certain point, from which pointl the concave brush-surface is contracted toward thev rim of the brush, so as to overhang the lower part, y

Witnesses:

Cass. D. ABEL, WM. SHIPWRIGHT. 

